I've been on a popcorn kick lately. It's a delightful gluten-free snack for my son (who has Celiac Disease) — and for everyone! Of course, you might think it's easier to buy the microwave popcorn, but this homemade version is quick and easy, too.

And it's much more fun and delicious! Making your own popcorn lets you control the flavors and ingredients. You'll love popcorn this way!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup white popcorn kernels

Preparation:

Makes 10 cups
Total Prep and Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Combine the oil, sugar, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, and popcorn kernels in a large stockpot with a lid. Turn the heat to high and, holding the lid on tightly, shake the pot every 20 seconds or so to prevent the sugar from burning. After a couple minutes, you'll hear the kernels begin to pop. Continue to shake for about 1 minute, keeping the lid on. As soon as the popping stops, turn the heat off and remove the lid. The popcorn will be nicely coated with the flavors. Delicious!

Valentina's passion is food, and she loves spending time in her "kitchen retreat," as she refers to that room in her house. Valentina develops recipes for creative and comforting food that works perfectly for casual entertaining. Both her recipes and food photography have been featured many times on popular food websites and in print. Valentina shares her beautiful photographs as well as new and interesting recipes almost daily on her blog, Cooking on the Weekends.

Outside the worlds of food and photography, Valentina's other passion is her family (including her two young boys, her husband and her puppy, Maple.)

To learn more about Valentina and where her work has been featured, visit her About page at Cooking On The Weekends.